Sermon Tone Analysis

Doctrine: Sin

Theme: Refusing the truth in unrighteousness destroys divine order.

Proposition: That post-modern society is perpetuating a continual descent out of God’s divine order.

Only society’s understanding of and holding onto the gospel of Christ through faith can/will restore God’s order.

Scripture: Isaiah 40:18-24

Key Text: Romans 1:16,17

I. Introduction and Prayer

****Illustration: The Broken Vending Machine

I love basketball and I have been playing it since I was third or fourth grade.

Not long ago I was playing pick-up ball with some friends at Kalamazoo College.

I was serving them up like Kiki and Mike served me up during our church picnic recently.

After leaving the court exhausted physically, and feeling good emotionally I eyed a vending machine that I often passed on my way to the locker room.

It was usually filled with a variety of flavors of Gatorade.

Something in me ask the question, “Is it in you?” and from then on I wanted a bottle.

As my mouth watered and my muscles cried for energy, the rest of my body pleaded for nourishment so I myself I would get a drink after I showered.

While showering I imagined getting my favorite flavor Ice blue.

I could feel the ice cold chill of the bottle in my warmed hands.

I could see visually taking the lid off the bottle, bringing it to my parched mouth and drinking the cool, crisp blue drink as it chilled my tongue, moistened my pallet, and nourished my body.

I get dressed, exit the locker room and head directly to the machine.

They got bottled water galore and every flavor of gatorade imaginable.

I put my money into the machine and push the code for my selection and you know what happened, right?

The machine told me to put more money in.

So I asked a friend of mine for some more change put it in the machine, selected my flavor and awaited my destiny to be fulfilled.

The machine again asked for more money.

At this point my vision of nourishment was turning to pure torture.

I was tired, thirsty, hungry, and malnourished and yet this vending machine was standing between me and destiny.

Needless to say, I read a small not on the machine that read if you have any problems please call such and such number of go to such and such office to make your claim.

I didn’t want to go to such and such office.

I didn’t want to call such and such number.

I wanted a drink badly and I wanted it then.

When you are desperate emotionally, famished physically and disturbed mentally the last thing you need is another obstacle.

But my encounter with this vending machine left me just a little upset.

There were no warning signs telling me it was broke.

There was no covering over the money insert hole keeping me from putting my money in.

There was no display anywhere or indications that this machine was out of order.

The only way I found out was after I invested my money and got no return - it was out of order.

The machine looked like it worked.

It was filled with products indicating it worked.

It made noise like it worked.

It took my money like it worked and yet when put to the test it really didn’t work.

It was out of order.

So it is with many of the people of today.

We look like we are well put together.

We look like we are functional.

We even act in many ways very functional but when God deposits His investment of life into us what is the return He receives that brings glory to his name?

When God deposits his trust in us as His creation what is the return he receives that honors his kingdom?

When God deposits his purpose and plan for our lives in us what is the return he receives through our worship of Him?

I suggest to you today that when more than 46 million Americans are uninsured; 1.69 million veterans are without medical insurance or regular care from VHA facilities; medical debt is the principal cause of bankruptcy in the US; among all the uninsured 37 million were employment age adults (18-64); more than 21 million work at least part-time; and 36 million are legal residents of the US, yet we can’t make health care affordable for all Americans, we are out of order.

When a protestant denomination (Episcopalians) vote to ordain openly gay bishops, we are out of order.

When a resolution is voted and passed 125-4 by the governing council of The American Psychological Association, which clearly states “that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments” society is out of order.

When this same association understands that some treatment options whether related to spiritual assistance or not could work “urges therapists to consider multiple options, which could include celibacy and switching churches, for helping clients live spiritually rewarding lives in instances where their sexual orientation and religious faith conflict,” society is out of order.

Not only is society out of order in terms of being broken, broke down, dysfunctional and growing ever increasingly irrelevant spiritually but it is out of divine order in terms of our order positionally with God.

God has placed everything in its place and have arranged things in its proper place.

Post-modern society is bent on being out of place in relationship to God’s ordained placement of order.

Another way to say it my brothers and sisters, is that sin has caused humanity to be out of order and every sinner in humanity is out of order.

Romans is Paul best treatment of how many can get back to right relationship and right-standing with God even though we are sinners out of order.

II.

Body

Paul’s witness of His Call (Romans 1:1-5)

The apostle Paul in his letter written to the church in Rome around A.D. 57 addresses both the Jewish and Gentile Christians of his day.

Paul in his introduction first declares by what authority he hails his apostleship.

He is first and foremost a servant of the Jesus Christ.

A slave or bondservant to the Son of God.

Paul the former persecutor, a former murderer and turned-around man has been called by God to be an apostle and not only that he has been set apart by his call for the “gospel of God.”

God called him from darkness to His marvelous light.

Jesus caught Paul in his tracks and by divine authority called him to a new way of living.

Paul the highly educated Pharisee.

Paul a Hebrew of the Hebrews.

Paul, in terms of the law blameless and yet when called by God tamed and set apart for His holy work.

No matter where you are in life God has a plan and purpose for your life.

No matter who you are God has a call for your life.

Paul’s call to the gospel of God came by way of the grace he received.

Understand my friends that Paul didn’t ask to be called.

Paul didn’t plan on being called.

Paul didn’t seek to be called of God as far as he was concerned he was closest to God when he lived as a Jewish leader before God.

But it wasn’t until he saw God that he truly understood his call from God.

You can’t be called of God unless you have had a life changing encounter with God.

People can look saved, try to talk saved, dress saved, eat saved and still not be called of God because they lack a personal experience with God.

Paul’s encounter with God through the person of Jesus Christ brought about “grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith.”

Watch this! Paul goes one step further and tells the church in Rome not only have I been called but you too.

By God he says, “you also are the called of Jesus Christ..” and we are “beloved of God, called to be saint.”

God wanted Paul and he wants every believer possible.

Can you say amen?

Why Rome, Paul (Romans 1:8-13)

Paul moves from the witness of his call to why he desires to go to Rome.

In this young vibrant church he testifies that first of all their faith “is spoken of throughout the whole world.”

Second was his desire as a preacher to “impart some spiritual gift, so that you may be stronger” in the faith.

Third, he didn’t want to just encourage them in the faith but he was looking likewise to be encouraged in the faith too.

Last of all and certainly not least of all, Paul was an evangelist and his m.o (modis operandi) was to “have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles...to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.”

Paul knew his gifts, his god-given purpose and his ministry.

What God gave him to do that was what he did.

If he was on God’s assignment then he didn’t have an assignment.

Too many people miss the move of God because you are not doing your assignment.

Perhaps you don’t know what your assignment is, or what your gift(s) are?

But to be just doing life is to be just doing you.

When you know your god-given purpose and your assignment you don’t have time to be bothered with other things.

Paul was a preacher and was looking to bear fruit in his assignment.

I wish I could be totally in the place and plan of God for my life that I may bear fruit.

Oh I am aren’t I? Maybe you’re not.

Jesus told his disciples “go and bring forth fruit,” in their own lives and in the lives of others (John 15:16, 4:36) Are you bringing forth fruit?